Preview: 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed

The 2018 edition of the Goodwood Festival of Speed is its 25th one (it started back in 1993). Not surprisingly, the theme for UK’s biggest motor show will be its 25th anniversary. However, the central feature will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Porsche 356, as the Stuttgart carmaker enters its eighth decade. The Polestar 1 and Nio EP9 will be making their public appearances at the event as well.

Elsewhere, the Bonhams auction will be finding new homes for ultra-expensive cars and automotive memorabilia, the paddocks will be full of static display cars, the hillclimb will be bristling with supercar talent, and the forest will, as usual, host the rallying portion of the festival.

Porsche Central Feature

The central feature at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed will celebrate Porsche, marking 70 years since the launch of its first sports car, the 356.

The sculpture, designed by Gerry Judah, will be erected in front of Goodwood House for the event, which runs from July 12-15. Last year's sculpture celebrated F1 tsar Bernie Ecclestone.

The 356 will be the focal point of the display. The model first entered production in 1948 and was the original rear-engined, rear-wheel drive sports car of Porsche, starting a lineage that survives to this day with the 911.

It will be the third time Porsche has been the subject of the sculpture at the annual motoring festival, a record for one car firm. Porsche was first celebrated with a sculpture to mark its 50th anniversary in 1998, while in 2013 the 50th year of the 911 was highlighted.

Cars at the festival

Last year's Festival of Speed was a treasure trove of cars making their first dynamic, public appearances. This year looks to be no different, with a growing list of cars due to make their driving debuts.

Alpine A110 GT4, Légende, Pure

Three new versions of the Alpine A110 will take to the hillclimb at Goodwood this year – the entry-level, stripped-out Pure version; the more luxurious, GT-friendly Légende; and the race-going GT4. Last year's hillclimb hosted the debut of an Alpine variant, with Première edition being the first car to break cover.

BMW 8 Series, M8 GTE

The recently revealed 8-series and its race-bred sibling, the M8 GTE, will both take to the hill climb at Goodwood. The former makes its first dynamic debut, without camouflage.

BMW i8 Roadster

BMW's i8 Roadster scheduled to arrive in India soon, will also drive up the hill.

Brabham BT62

Brabham's 5.4-litre V8-engined track-only hypercar will be put through its paces up the Hill climb - the first time the brand will have showcased the car in action.

GoldenEye Aston Martin DB5

Not the Goldfinger DB5, but a Bond DB5 nonetheless – one of the James Bond Aston Martin DB5s will be sold at the Bonhams auction at the Festival of Speed on July 13. It's expected to fetch up to £1.6 million.

Ferrari 488 Pista

Ferrari's latest, most special supercar will be on display at the Festival of Speed, and will take to the hill climb to stake its claim in this year's competition. Based on our review, it is expected to be blisteringly fast.

Ferrari 812 Superfast

If you name a car 812 Superfast, you'd best bring it to the Festival of Speed to prove it. Which is exactly what Ferrari is doing, with the 800hp, 2.9-sec-to-100kph, 340kph F12 Berlinetta replacement. See it in action at this year's Goodwood Festival. In the meanwhile, check out our review and watch the video.

Ford Eagle Squadron GT Mustang

The first - and most powerful - of three Mustangs heading for Goodwood this year, the 710hp Eagle Squadron Mustang GT pays tribute to American pilots who voluntarily served in the RAF during World War II before the US had officially joined the conflict.

Ford Mustang Bullitt, Bullitt Ford Mustang

That's not a typo - the Ford Mustang Bullitt will take to the hill climb, while its inspiration, the original Mustang from the movie, Bullitt, will also be on display.

Honda RA301

Honda's RA301 Formula 1 car from 1968 will be piloted by Jenson Button up the hill. It was Honda's last F1 car before the brand re-entered F1 in 2006.

Lanzante McLaren P1 GT 'Longtail'

McLaren 600LT

The 570GT on which the 600LT is based on.

McLaren's latest offering will be based on its Sports Series models, and will get 608hp, hence 600LT. It's tipped to be far lighter than the 570GT on which it's based, and uses top-exit exhausts like its hardcore sibling, the Senna.

Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S 4-door Coupé

Merc-AMG's next standalone model will be on display at Goodwood, and will make its driving debut up the hill climb. Mercedes-AMG raciong driver Adam Christodoulou will be behind the wheel.

Mini Electric, John Cooper Works GP concepts

Mini will show its Electric and John Cooper Works GP concepts at Goodwood. These two contrasting visions of future models show the wide reach Mini will have in the future.

Nio EP9

It set the Nürburgring record for production cars, but can it beat the rest up the hill at Goodwood? Nio's EP9 hypercar stands a good chance. It's been confirmed to take to the hill at its visit to Goodwood this year.

Polestar 1

If you've been dying to see the Polestar 1 in action then you're in luck – the performance hybrid is making its driving debut at Goodwood this year.

Roborace

Autonomous motor racing series and Formula E spin-off Roborace will attempt the first ever driverless run of the famous hill climb. It'll be the first to traverse the hill climb using only AI.

Tesla Model 3

A European debut for Tesla's entry-level electric car will come in the month that follows its biggest production milestone: the building of 5,000 Model 3s in one week.

Volkswagen ID R Pikes Peak

Fresh from setting a new record on the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, Romain Dumas will tackle the slightly shorter Goodwood hill climb course in his electric 680hp Volkswagen ID R.

About the Festival of Speed

The first Judah-designed sculpture, dedicated to Ferrari, featured at the Festival in 1997. Aside from Porsche, the other car firms to have been the subject of the sculpture more than once are Audi (1999 and 2009), Jaguar (2000 and 2011), Mercedes-Benz (2001 and 2014) and Renault (2002 and 2006).

This year will also be the 25th running of the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Last year’s shootout was won by the Audi R8 V10 Plus, which completed the 1.86km course in 51sec. It beat the Nissan GT-R Nismo, which recorded a 52.68sec run.